ALTHEA

Pretty good! Serving size of appetizers and especially dessert is very small, but you get plenty of the mains. Menu is a bit tricky to navigate with tree nut allergies, but staff are willing to make substitutions and introduce off-menu items (dessert) to help accommodate you. Obviously very vegan and gluten-free friendly.
Apr 5th, 2022

Their dishes are simply beautiful and they have a great view if you can score a window seat. Everything is plated delicately and actually, as a non-vegan/non-vegetarian, Ive loved most things Ive tried there. Its very elevated and very creative. Also always packed! I recommend going.
Apr 4th, 2022

Apr 1st, 2022

Impressive delicious vegetarian restaurant, probably the best of its kind in Chicago. Great service, inventive food at the top of Saks 5th Avenue with great views.
Apr 1st, 2022

The food at ALTHEA is 5 stars. However, our visit was fraught with a lot of little service issues that added up to a less than excellent experience. Then, upsettingly, it ended with yelling. We started with the Artisanal Cheese Plate ($22 GF). It does not strongly resemble artisan cheese, but has delicate crystallized pieces that you might find in aged cheese. I enjoyed the almonds, olives and house-made pickles, and skipped the crostini, since I am gluten-free. Carrots were unavailable. We got two orders of Crab Cakes ($15 GF?). There seemed to be some uncertainty over whether they were gluten-free or not. (I am not diagnosed celiac at the moment, so I was ok with that). They have all the classic flavors in a tender, claw-meat-style crab cake. My older daughter ordered the Baked Mac + Cheese ($12) appetizer as her meal. She liked it a lot, and she is picky. I tasted the sauce, and to me, it was not the best vegan mac and cheese I have had by a long shot (take yourself to Soul Veg City at 203 E 75th St for that) but it was good. My ramen-worshipping daughter said the Almond Udon ($21) was the best shed ever eaten. The aromatic broth has deep umami and fishy, saline notes. My husband ordered the Kale Caesar Salad ($18) - good, but basic. We got 2 sides of the Roasted Potatoes ($7 GF): creamy roasted, with a rich, bowl-licking garlic aioli. I got the Kelp Noodle Cacio E Pepe ($19 GF), and got was one of the best vegan entrees Ive ever had: deeply satisfying and creamy, but not heavy. The raw noodles feel like a firm, perfectly cooked al dente pasta. The peppery flavor was bright and lemony. The waiter said that they had strived to re-create a fermented flavor like one might find in parmesan. Id get this to-go any time. Sensational. We ordered all 3 desserts after our waiter checked and told us they were all GF: a chocolate hazelnut torte, a coconut banana pie, and a lemon blueberry cheesecake. All great - but the ice cream pie with caramelized bananas was to die for. Issues: we waited for 15-20 minutes with a reservation. (The hosts were apologetic.) Once seated, we waited 10+ minutes for a server to come by (no water proffered.) We never got our plates cleared until the next course arrived. Never got a table wipe until requested. Never had a water refill. Our waiter was not well-versed in what was gluten-free and had to continuously go and ask. FOUR times we were brought the wrong entree, or in the wrong quantities. Lastly, the waiter put the check directly in front of my husband. He saw me reach over for it. I gave it back with MY card. Returning, he put it in front of my husband again. Service was friendly, but never so great as the food. Lastly: ALTHEA is on the top floor of Saks Fifth Avenue. So while the restaurant is open on a Saturday evening, Saks is closed. After dinner, a guard began shouting at my family, GET AGAINST THE WALL!! YOU STAY BY THAT WALL! They had done nothing. When I came out, husband tried to usher me towards the elevator. More threats and shouting. Downstairs, the guard gave us the same treatment: THE STORE IS CLOSED! GET OUT! YOU MUST LEAVE THE BUILDING IMMEDIATELY! It was beyond ridiculous. I said, Kinda hard to get out of here, aint it? Without getting yelled at? My daughter was really upset about it. She thought we were getting arrested. How about a rope, ALTHEA? Or some signs? I mean, this is the plan? This really overshadowed the superior food we had here. Chef Kenney just needs to plant some customers to have the whole experience, take notes, and tighten the service The exit strategy needs to be adapted, so that patrons who are leaving feeling full and happy arent effectively criminalized just for being there. It was a bizarre and unsettling end to the meal. Chef has clearly done all the work to make sure that the food is exceptional, and now if some attention is paid to the rest of the experience, it could be world class. For now, Id advise take-out during store hours.
Apr 3rd, 2022